Bell, Richard Joseph

September 11, 2005

BELL, Richard Joseph

Richard Joseph Bell passed away after a lifelong battle with diabetes. He was a resident of Juno Beach, FL at the time of his passing. Born in Manchester in 1947, he was the son of the late Joseph Thomas Bell and Laura Coscina Bell. He graduated Central Connecticut State University in 1972 with a BS in Business Administration. Rich was known for the deep love he had for his family and friends, his caring nature, his concern for others and his terrific sense of humor. A garment manufacturer in a family business for twenty five years, Rich's career culminated in the creation of Hartford Gear, a line of protective clothing for the motorcycle trade. All-important to Richard was his love of music. He was a drummer who grew up listening to jazz. Rich was a strong participant in local music scenes for most of his life, playing in jazz and blues groups. He is survived by his two children, Lauren Bell of San Francisco, CA and Sean Bell and wife Amy Smith Bell, two grandchildren, Sophie and Margot of Seattle WA, his brother Larry and wife Cindy Bell of Wethersfield and sister Anne, husband Michael Carter and niece, Isabella of Milton, MA. He leaves behind a very special friend, Laurie Rogers Bell of New York City and the love and friendship of the Rogers family of West Haven. A memorial service will be held at Unitarian Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, on Saturday, September 17th at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 120 Wall Street, 19th fl., NY 10005 (www.jdf.org).